Time Well Spent
by MissingMommy
Summary: On a game show where anything goes for the right price, Draco finds something that might change everything. :: Light!Charlie/Draco, magical game show!AU


For Gobblestones: red stone - rivalry

Accuracy: forest green, Power: game show!AU, Technique: bubblegum pink.

For Around The World In 31 Days. Dominic Republic - creature: dragons

For Hogwarts assignment 7. History of Muggles, task 1 - write about a rivalry

For OTP bootcamp: violation.

Notes: this is based off _Cutthroat Kitchen_. This is completely Amber's fault. Thanks to Amber and Bex for looking over it. Also, Lizzy, my response to my job was the line: "Thanks for stopping by!" It made it into the fic :D

* * *

"Welcome back to _So You Think You Know Your Creatures_!"

He's standing in the middle of a large field, workstations to his left and something behind a closed door to his right, while there is a single table in the center. His blond hair is perfectly styled and his blue and bronze suit is fitted perfectly. He smiles dazzling at the camera.

"I'm your host, Gilderoy Lockhart. This episode we are dealing with dragons! Now, let's meet the contestants."

Gilderoy turns and looks behind him. The camera moves to settle on the workstations. Four people come walking out one at a time, placing their wands on the center table before moving to stand behind the stations.

* * *

"I'm Padma Patil," the woman says. Her long dark hair is pulled into a high ponytail. "I'm a wandmaker, currently working with Gerrard Ollivander who took over Ollivander's after his father retired."

She shifts her hands in her lap. "I oftentimes find myself working closely with Dragon Tamers to get the dragon heartstrings for the wands.

"They are beautiful creatures, even in death. I'm excited about actually being near a live dragon." She's smiling at the camera confidently.

* * *

"I'm Draco Malfoy," the blond says. He sits ramrod straight, smirking. "I'm a Potioneer. I provide places, such as St Mungo, potions.

"Some of the potions I brew require ingredients from dragons. I'm working to see if I can create a new potion with other things taken from dragons."

He loses his smirk as he talks about the potions. He looks passionate about his work.

* * *

"I'm Tonks," she says. Her bubblegum pink hair is short and she's grinning brightly at the camera. "I'm an Auror."

She shifts in her chair, and her grin fades. "As an Auror, I have encountered dragons that are being used for dragon fights. It's sad, really, seeing these beautiful creatures forced to fight one another."

* * *

"I'm Charlie Weasley," the man says. His hair is a shocking red, but his skin is tanned. There are scars that cover his forearms. "I'm a Dragon Tamer at the Romanian Reserve.

"I've always been passionate about dragons. About all creatures, really. Dragons are just magnificent creatures," he says, sighing.

* * *

Gilderoy is standing at the single table. A briefcase is laying on top of it. He has both hands on either side of it.

"Now this is a game where anything goes. In fact, it goes for the right price." There's a grin on his face as he taps the briefcase. "Don't worry, I have time that you can bid with. You'll each get ten chips worth 120 minutes. When you win an auction, you'll return one of them for the time you've spent."

He picks up the briefcase and makes his way to the far right workstation, where Padma is standing. He holds out the case for her. "Remember, the person who wins will only be able to spend the rest of the time they have left with the judge. So be careful how you bid."

When each of the four have grabbed out the appropriate amount of chips, Gilderoy returns to the table in the middle of the field. He tucks the briefcase under the table before putting his hands on either side of the table.

"Now let's get down to business. Today is all about dragons so I hope you've brushed up on your dragon knowledge."

He grins at the four contestants. "How about we start off easy? You'll need to groom a dragon."

Gilderoy looks pleased with himself as he steps back towards the closed doors behind him. "You'll have 90 seconds to get everything you'll need to groom your dragon. Starting…." he trails off for a moment, watching as the four contestants grab their baskets. "Now."

All four of them sprint towards the open door.

* * *

"The first thing I think of when I enter the workshop is that it's nothing like the Auror supply closet," Tonks says. "All we have in that closet is protective gear. Gear is not the only thing I need to groom a dragon.

"I've groomed one before, after we found it during a dragon fight. So I grab the tongs. Easier to hold onto the scales with. I grab oil to shine them, and a towel to apply it with." She grimaces at the camera. "Oil is not fun to apply to dragon scales barehanded.

"I hear Gilderoy counting down so I get out of the workshop."

* * *

Padma is frowning at the camera. "I've never groomed a dragon before. I don't know what I'm supposed to be getting. The other three seem to know somewhat what they are doing.

"I follow Tonks' lead and grab some oil and rags. Surely, that will come in handy to make the scales shine. I grab a brush too, for the wings. They don't really have feathers, but it can't hurt to make them look nice.

"With those things, I get out of the workshop."

* * *

"I've done this hundreds of times," Charlie says confidently. "I know exactly what I'm looking for. I grab oil and rags for the scales. I grab a brush for the wings. I pick a pair of tongs so that I can move any loose scales. Then I grab a buffer for the claws. Can't have then being too sharp.

"I make it back to my station just moments before Gilderoy starts counting down."

* * *

"The workshop reminds me of my own workshop, only there's tools instead of potion ingredients," Draco reveals. "Grooming a dragon shouldn't be that difficult. I grab oil and a cloth. Of course a buffer for those claws. And finally I pick up a brush.

"I barely make it out of the workshop before Gilderoy is shutting the door."

* * *

"And now, for the bidding," Gilderoy announces, clapping his hands together once. He then pulls out his wand and a pile of dirty towels, napkins, and rags appear in front of him. "Win this auction and you'll force one of your competitors to give up their clean towels for these dirty ones."

All four of the constants stand impossibly straighter, making Gilderoy smirk. "The auction begins at 1 minute."

"5 minutes," Draco calls.

"7 minutes," Charlie counters.

The two of them share a look between them. Draco doesn't take his eyes off Charlie as he says, "10 minutes."

There's silence for a long moment. "10 minutes. Will anyone give me 11?" Gilderoy asks.

"11," Charlie says.

"13," Draco counters.

The two of them continue to outbid each other, unwilling to let the other win the dirty towels. The other two contestants don't bother bidding.

It is several long minutes before Gilderoy cheerfully announces, "Sold to Draco for 35 minutes. Bring me a chip."

Draco exchanges the chip for the dirty towels. He walks directly over to Charlie and sets down the tray. He takes the clean rag out of Charlie's basket with a smirk. "Since you seemed like you really wanted these."

The blond is still smirking when he gets back to his station.

* * *

"The first thing I think when I see these towels is _hell no_!" Charlie exclaims, shaking his head. "I don't know what those towels were soaking in. It would be a nightmare to use those towels. So I immediately start bidding against Malfoy.

"When he looked at me after my first counter, I couldn't help but think that he's gorgeous. Totally my type. Then he outbid me and I had to remind myself that I was competing."

He grins at the camera. "But the price kept going up. I stopped bidding because that was a lot of time."

* * *

Gilderoy waves his wand a second time. Three bundles of rope appeared in front of him. "Win this auction and you'll have the ability to force all three of your opponents to work with only one hand. Bidding starts at 5 minutes."

"6 minutes," Charlie says first.

"8 minutes," Draco says, eyeing Charlie.

Padma shocks everyone when she loudly calls out, "15 minutes."

"16 minutes," Tonks says.

"45 minutes," Padma counters quickly.

"45 minutes. Anyone going to give me 46?" Gilderoy asks, glancing between the other three. When none of them speak, he continues on. "Sold to Padma for 45 minutes. Bring me a chip."

Padma takes a chip up to Gilderoy in exchange for the rope. She hands each of her competitors a piece of the rope before she goes back to her station.

* * *

"Dirty towels was one thing," Padma says. "But not being able to use both hands? That was going to be impossible. I immediately start bidding on it."

She smirks at the camera. "My plan was to drive up the price to where all the competitors wouldn't want to pay it. 45 minutes is a lot of time with the judge, but I will be able to use my hands. I consider it time well spent."

* * *

With another wave of Gilderoy's wand, a pair of pliers appear in front of him. He picks them up to show them off.

"Our next auction is a pair of rusty pliers. Win this and you'll force your opponent to give up their tongs or pliers for this one," Gilderoy says.

He tries to open them, but they stay stubbornly shut. "The bidding starts at 1 minute."

Tonks is the first one to bid with, "5 minutes."

The other three follow almost simultaneously. The battle for the bidding is fierce, all four of them unwilling to back down. The price is high before the end of it.

"40 minutes," Gilderoy reminds them. "Will anyone give me 41?" The silence is answer enough. "Sold to Tonks for 40 minutes. Bring me a chip."

Tonks trades a chip for the rusty pliers. She puts them in Padma's basket before she returns to her station.

* * *

Padma twirls her hair around her finger and untwists it as she speaks. "I didn't really want those pliers. They look like a nightmare to use, so of course I started bidding.

"I had to stop, though," she sighs, "when the bidding got more than 30 minutes. I only have 75 minutes left and it's only the first round!

"Unfortunately, that meant I got the pliers." She grimaces.

* * *

Gilderoy smiles charmingly at the four contestants. "You'll have thirty minutes to groom your dragon."

Four young dragons are brought out by team of crewmen. They each can't be more than a few months old. Their scales vary between sea green and forest green, but it's clear that each of them need grooming. It's only when the crewmen leave that Gilderoy brings the attention back to himself.

"You have been provided with protective gear if you wish to wear it," Gilderoy announces, gesturing to the workstations.

Padma, Tonks, and Draco all make use of them. The protective gear is made of dragonhide that varies in shades of green, much like the dragons. Charlie doesn't bother with any gear.

"Starting now."

The four contestants grab their stuff and race towards their designated dragons.

* * *

"Common Welsh Greens are generally the easiest dragons to work with," Charlie informs the camera. "They aren't as independent as most dragons, which makes approaching them easier.

"Judging by the size of my dragon, she just came into her fire breath. I made sure that she felt comfortable with me approaching. I get burnt all the time at work; I would rather not get burnt here. But she seemed happy enough for me to approach."

A smile tugs at his lips as he continues to explain what he did. "So first thing to do is sit my basket down and inspect the dirty towels Malfoy gave me. I'm not even sure what is on them. I sit them to the side and pick up the tongs. Poor baby, her scales are abysmal. I move around her very easily, testing the askew scales.

"It takes me about ten minutes to straighten or remove the loose scales. She's looking better after that. After that, I pick the towel back up, grimacing at the feeling, and pour some oil on it. I test it on a single scale. Whatever is on the towels doesn't really screw the oil up. It'll work.

"Her forest green scales are shining brightly within the next five minutes. Then comes the hardest part: buffering her claws. No dragon likes having their claws buffered, and I had a feeling this one really didn't. Sure enough, the moment I got brought the buffer close to her claws, she would try to hide her claws," he explaining, mimicking the dragon hiding them.

"It takes every bit of ten minutes to buffer all of her claws, mostly because I have to wrangle her without using both hands. If I did have both of my hands, I definitely could've managed in half that time. By the time I am done, she is looking much better than she was.

"I have less than five minutes on the clock when I pick up the brush. I start running the brush through her wings, careful to follow the wing bones. My heart is racing as I work to finish it. The timer is counting down when I do the last stroke. Gilderoy calls time and I throw the brush back in my basket. She's never looked better than she does now."

He looks satisfied with himself.

* * *

Padma sits in front of the camera, her ponytail loose and messy with the helmet in her lap. "My dragon was beautiful. Seeing one alive in front of me is definitely one of the best things I've ever witnessed. The dragon was gorgeous. It keep looking at me with these dark green eyes.

"It allowed me to approach, not even lifting its head to track my movements. I sit the basket down and survey it. A lot of the scales are askew and all of them look dull. My heart breaks a little seeing this dragon looking like this.

"I theorize that the starting point would be straightening the scales before oiling the scales to make them shine. I grab out the pliers. These pliers are seriously rusted. I wish it isn't a violation of the rules to use magic to fix them," she discloses.

"I waste several minutes trying to get the pliers working. I try to work as quick as possible to straighten the scales without hurting the dragon. There's just so many of them that needs fixing!

"I have about seven minutes left when I finally get done. I pick up the towel and oil. I pour a generous amount on the towel and start oiling the scales. Thankfully the dragon is just a baby; oiling the scales takes less time than I originally believed," she says.

"I have just under four minutes on the clock when I pick up my brush. I work the brush through the wings. It glides easily, which is nice. It's the easiest thing I've done all day. But the wings are just big enough that I run out of time before I can finish. I put the brush down and hope that the other part of the grooming is enough to put me through to the next round."

She looks unhappy as she says this.

* * *

Tonks is smiling at the camera, her bubblegum hair covered by her helmet. "The dragon is smaller than most of the ones I've encountered before. It looks a little apprehensive when I approach, so I try to look as non-threatening as I possible can. It exhales hotly but it allows me to get close.

"Its scales are in bad shape. I take out the tongs and work on straightening them or removing them if they are too loose. I have to be careful because he doesn't really like me near them. It takes me longer than I was expecting because of it, even though I had already expected it to take a while since I can only use one hand.

"After that, I pour oil on the towel and start shining the scales. For all the annoyance he had at me fixing his scales, he is surprising calm when I oil them. He even leans into my touch," she remarks, grinning. "It's a great feeling for him to enjoy this part.

"There's five minutes on the clock when I get done. I take a step back and survey my work. He looks ten times better than he did. I glance around and notice the others running brushes through the wings. I didn't bring a brush! I can't believe I forgot that!" she exclaims.

She frowns. "So I do the best I can. I run my fingers through the wings trying to smooth it out. It doesn't really do much. Then Gilderoy calls time. I'll be really lucky if I don't go home."

* * *

Draco's blond hair is stuck to his forehead. "I'm glad that the dragons are Welsh Greens, as they are generally more docile than other dragons. I just wish this dragon was tamer. He does _not_ like me approaching him. I don't know what is going on but he huffs at me every time I step toward him. I quickly glance around and none of the other contestants are having this issue.

"It takes a few minutes to get the dragon calm enough to let me approach him. To make up for this delay, I know I have to work quickly. I oil the rag and set about shining the scales. While I do that, I use my hands to straighten the crooked scales. It's not as easy as I imagined it would be but the dragon doesn't huff at me while I'm doing it."

He runs his hands through his sweaty hair, only making it stand up in different directions. He seems to realize what he's done and flattens it back down.

"Next, I move to buff the claw. He likes this even less than he likes me. He hides his claws. It's a struggle just to get him to extend them. Magic would've made this so much easier. I glance over and Weasley looks like he's struggling to buff his dragon's claws.

"I have seven minutes on the clock by the time I get done. The claws are looking great and the scales are now glowing an emerald green that reminds me of Slytherin. So I pick up the brush to start smoothing out the wings. I take my time brushing the wings so that the dragon does huff at me again," he says. "I just finished as Gilderoy started counting down."

* * *

Crewmen take away all traces of the treachery they inflicted on each other. Gilderoy brings their attention to him. He's taken the time to change into a different set of robes, these ones are even more grand than the ones before; golden with hints of silver.

"Now, contestants, please welcome our judge for this evening," he announces, gesturing to his right.

On cue, the popping of Apparation sounds through the clearing. A man stands there, his hair is pure silver and he's wearing a long blue coat. "I hope I'm on time!"

The newcomer surveys the area before crossing the distance to stand next to Gilderoy.

"Newt Scamander is the leading expert on all creatures," Gilderoy divulges. "Much like I'm the leading expert on Defence Against the Dark Arts."

Newt waves his greetings. "Now, I have no idea what happened before I arrived. They literally only gave me a time to Apparate in at. I see this week's creatures are dragons. Beautiful creatures. Such -"

"This round, they were tasked with grooming these dragons," Gilderoy says, cutting across the other man.

"Ah yes, grooming. Now when I think of grooming dragons, I think about how straight their scales are, how shiny and healthy looking the scales appear, if their claws are buffered, and how their wings appear," Newt explains, using his fingers to list each point.

Gilderoy grins broadly. "How about we inspect the dragons?"

Newt nods enthusiastically.

Gilderoy stays at his table as Newt approaches the first contestant and their dragon. Padma frowns as she introduces herself to the judge.

Her dragon doesn't pay any mind to Newt approaching it. He pats its head as he observes it. "You did a nice job with the straightening and shining of the scales. It definitely makes her look healthy. I notice that that the claws aren't buffed and you've missed a good size portion of the wings. The other parts of the wings look very nice. It's not a bad groom, but it could be improved."

Padma nods, her frown deepening as Newt moves onto the next contestant. Draco stands off to the side after he greets the other man to allow him to get closer.

The dragon huffs hot air on Newt's face when he gets too close. The man scratches at the underside of the dragon's chin as he laughs. "Got a bit of a temper, don't you, boy? He looks great. The scales are shining healthily. I see that you buffed the claws nicely. The wings look magnificent. The only thing is that some of the scales could be straighter. Overall, it's a good groom."

Draco smirks as the judge moves onto Tonks. She doesn't look confident as she exchanges formalities with Newt.

"Your dragon's scales looks tidy. They are shining healthily and they are straight. I noticed, however, that your claws aren't buffed. It also doesn't appear that you brushed through the dragon's wings. Just remember next time that the wings and claws are also just as important as the scales," Newt informs her, giving her an encouraging smile.

Tonks nods as the judge moves on. Charlie hasn't moved far from his dragon during his introduction.

"The first thing I notice is how happy your dragon appears," Newt comments. "That's always a good indication of a good groom. Her scales are in order and look great. Her wings are immaculate and her claws are brilliantly buffed. It's obvious that this isn't your first time grooming a dragon."

Charlie lets a self-satisfied grin spread across his face as Newt walks back towards Gilderoy. The host doesn't take his eyes off the contestants as he asks the judge, "Have you made a decision?"

"I have. These were all great attempts. Unfortunately, one of you have to go home. And that person will be Tonks," he announces sadly. "I'm truly sorry, but the claws weren't buffered and the wings weren't brushed."

Tonks crosses the field and shakes both the host and judge's hands, thanking them for the opportunity before she retrieves her wand from Gilderoy. She Apparates out as Gilderoy summons her remaining chips.

* * *

Tonks looks crestfallen as she stares at the camera. "It really sucks being the first person eliminated, but I agree with Mr Scamander; compared to the others, mine wasn't as good.

"I think I could've learned a lot about endangered creatures and the illegal breeding of them from Newt. He is renowned as the leader in the rehabilitation of captive creatures. He would've been an amazing source of information to help Aurors better handle these cases."

She shrugs. "I guess I'll have to petition our Head of Auror Office to get Newt to help us improve our laws."

Then she grins. "I wouldn't be surprised if Charlie Weasley won this. He was always obsessed with dragons while we were at school. Good luck!"

* * *

Gilderoy claps his hands together gleefully, and walks back to the closed doors. "Alright contestants. You know how you feel after you've cleaned up? I know it feels wonderful for me. Well, we're going to to find out if the dragons feel the same way. Round two is bathing!"

He watches the contestants grab their baskets. "You'll have 90 seconds to grab everything you'll need to give your dragon a bath."

The host doesn't bother with counting down. He pulls open the doors. The three remaining contestants sprint to the room.

* * *

Draco frowns. "I don't know the first thing about bathing a dragon. Is it similar to grooming them? By the looks of what is available in the shop, it doesn't appear to be so.

"There's a hose. I assume it's for water since we're not allowed to use magic. I pick that up. The next thing I look for is some soap. There's several bottles of a variety of scents. I grab an unscented bottle because I'm sure dragons don't like an overwhelming scent."

He frowns. "I grab a towel to dry the dragon off with and I get out of the shop with ten seconds to go. I feel like I'm forgetting something but I don't know what."

* * *

Padma has tied her hair back up. "Bathing a dragon shouldn't be too difficult. I assume it's much like bathing a human.

"The first thing I go for is the soap. There's a lot of different options. I pick up the lavender soap; lavender generally calms humans so I'm hoping that it has the same effect on dragons. Of course I pick up a rag to wash it with. Then I realize that I'm going to need some water since I can't just conjure some. I spot a hose. It's perfect.

"Gilderoy hasn't even begun to count down as I leave. I'm waiting for the time to run out when I realize that I didn't pick up anything to dry the dragon with! How could I forgot something like that?"

* * *

"Bathing dragons!" Charlie exclaims jubilantly. "That's always a fun time. Well, for the Tamer; not so much for the dragons. They have a bit of an aversion to water.

"However, water is necessary for bathing them. I glance around the shop and notice a hose. Perfect. On the shelf above it is a nozzle for it so I can control the speed. No need in making a dragon angier by spraying them with water so that goes into my basket with the hose."

He smiles brightly. "I grab unscented soap. I learned the hard way that dragons do _not_ appreciate smells. Then I grab a few towels to dry the dragon.

"I'm on my way out when I realize I probably should grab a cleaning brush. I pick that up and hurry out."

* * *

Gilderoy shuts the door to the shop and makes his way back to the table. "It looks like you all have everything you'll need to bath a dragon. How about we do our first auction."

He pulls out his wand and summons something. A small timer appears on the table. "Win this auction and you'll force one of your opponents to sit out for five minutes. The bidding starts at 1 minute. Who will give me 1 minute."

Charlie calls out, "1 minute."

Draco turns to him, smirking, and counters, "3 minutes."

"5 minutes," Padma bids.

"We have 5 minutes. Who will give me 6?" Gilderoy asks.

"10," Draco offers.

When Gilderoy asks for more time, neither Padma or Charlie counter. The host smiles. "Sold to Draco for 10 minutes. Bring me a chip."

Draco exchanges a chip for the timer. He doesn't appear to think as he puts the timer down in front of Charlie. The redhead raises an eyebrow at Draco, who only smirks in return.

* * *

"I could have bid more on the timer," Charlie reveals as the camera focuses. "So far, I haven't spent any of my time. But sitting out for five minutes isn't really a big deal."

He shrugs. "I had a feeling when Draco won that he would give the timer to me. I don't know if he gave it to me because he views me as a threat or because his family and mine don't get along the greatest. If it's the latter, I would like to change that."

* * *

When Draco returns to his station, Gilderoy summons the next auction. A medium sized bucket appears on the table. Gilderoy uses magic to fill the bucket with water.

"Win this auction and you'll force one of your opponents to give up their water source, using only the water in this bucket. The bidding begins at 1 minute."

Padma is the first to bid. "5 minutes."

"7 minutes," Draco responds.

Padma raises the time, and Draco counters. Charlie doesn't bid, instead choosing to watch the two of them outbid one another.

Finally the bidding calms down. Gilderoy looks in between the blond and the brunette. "30 minutes going once," he says. "30 minutes going twice. Sold to Padma for 30 minutes. Bring me a chip."

She trades the chip for the bucket. She carefully makes her way over to Draco's station.

* * *

"I suspect water is very important for bathing, so having a limited amount of water is definitely not ideal. I know I don't have a lot of time left, but I don't want this bucket of water," Padma recalls.

"The price quickly climbs to thirty minutes. It doesn't seem like Draco is willing to spend that much, and Charlie appears to be hoarding his time very well. I give the bucket of water to Draco; he's been giving everything he buys to Charlie so I want to even the field a little between them."

* * *

With a wave of his wand, Gilderoy summons the next item. Instead of appearing on the table, it settles near the treeline. It's a large garden. This makes Gilderoy even more gleeful than normal.

"Win this auction and you'll force one of your opponents to dig for their bottles of soap in this," he says, gesturing to his left. "Who will give me 5 minutes?"

Draco is the first to bid. "5 minutes."

"50 minutes," Charlie announces smugly before Padma can counter. His offer put Padma out of the bidding.

"50 minutes to Charlie," Gilderoy reiterates. "Will anyone give me 51?" Draco is too caught up staring at the redhead to outbid him. "Bring me a chip!"

Charlie dutifully takes a chip to Gilderoy. He crosses the clearing and grabs out Draco's soaps. A grin breaks out across Charlie's faces as he meets the blond's eyes. "Good luck with that, Draco."

All he receives is a glare.

* * *

Draco glares as the camera settles on him. "I should've upped the price higher. He would've eventually outbid me since he still hasn't spent any time. I just got distr-" he breaks off.

"There's really no reason why I shouldn't have made him spend more time than that. Of course, he had to force me to do this. I hated Herbology when I was at Hogwarts. I dropped it as soon as I could. Now I have to dig through this garden and hope I find the stuff I need in time."

* * *

Gilderoy tucks his wand back into his robes. "You'll have thirty minutes to bath your dragons."

Three dragons are brought out; they are filthy. These dragons are a little bigger than the ones before. Shades of silvery-blue peek out under the dirt, mud, and grime. The crewmen disappear again.

"And you're time starts now."

Padma is the only one to hurry towards her dragon, her basket in hand. Charlie takes a seat on his station and starts the timer. Draco heads off towards the garden.

* * *

Draco's gear and clothes are covered in a thin layer of dirt. There's dirt in his hair but his hands are clean. He looks extremely unhappy.

"Since Weasley took away my soaps, I got stuck looking for replacements in the garden. I decide the best thing to do is just start pulling up everything. The first thing I dig up is peppermint soap. I toss it away before working on the second one.

"The minutes are passing quickly as I'm looking for the soap. This is just time that I'm wasting, but I really don't want to use scented soap on the dragon. Six bottles later, and I finally get an unscented bottle. I've used 7 minutes looking for this soap.

"I approach this dragon as carefully as I did last time. This one seems more lax than the other one since it doesn't even huff at me. I put the bottle of soap down and survey what I have and the dragon. The bucket of water that Padma gave me has appeared at my station," he explains.

"I have limited amount of water, soap, and a towel to dry it. I notice that I didn't grab anything to apply the soap," he reveals, frowning more. "I realize that I'm going to have to use my hands to remove as much as I can. It's not as bad as I was expecting. The mud was dried and ready to come off as it was."

"Once most of the dirt is gone, I use a little of the water to clean my hands with. There's really no point in trying to clean a dragon with dirty hands. I pour soap into my hands and scrub to create bubbles. I carefully clean the scales and hide where it is still dirty."

He shrugs as he continues to describe his activities. "I immediately discard the idea of using my hands to cup water. I haul up the bucket and start pouring it down the dragon's body to wash away the bubbles. My dragon bucked wildly, trying to get away from the water. In the process, it knocks the bucket out of my hands. All of the water I had left is now gone.

"The only thing I can do is just use the towel to dry the dragon and hope the bubbles go away. I start wiping down the dragon and I'm thanking Salazar that they do. Gilderoy starts to count down when I finish."

* * *

Padma looks frazzled when she sits down for the camera. "I thought giving a dragon a bath would be easy. Well, it's not. The dragon doesn't mind me approaching it. I can't believe how dirty it is!

"I decide the best thing to start with is clearing away the dirt and mud using my hands. There's no reason to use water. It took a little bit to clear a lot of it away. I am blown away by the fact that the scales were a silvery-blue; I wouldn't have known if I wasn't cleaning them."

She grimaces as she continues. "I open the bottle of lavender soap. The dragon is very angry noe. It tries to hit me with its tail. It is blowing hot breath on me. I swear that if it could, it would roast me right then and there!

"I shut the bottle and the dragon calms down. So it is definitely the soap it doesn't like. I don't know what to do at this point. I don't have different soap and I can't wash it without the soap. I decide the best thing I can do is just rinse it off.

"I grab the hose and barely turn it on. I don't want too much water. I start to rinse the dragon off as best as I could. It's not happy about the water but it isn't as angry as it was. When I'm done with that, I use the towel I brought to dry it off. The dragon isn't as clean as it could be but it's cleaner than it was."

* * *

Charlie looks relaxed as he lounges in the chair. "Thanks to Draco, I have to wait five minutes before I can start. I observe Padma for a few moments, noticing her scented soap. I doubt she'll be able to wash her dragon with that.

"I turn my attention to Draco. I want to watch how he fares against the garden that he clearly didn't like. He handles it with more grace than I was expecting. Even looks great covered in dirt!" Charlie exclaims.

"The timer sounds and I'm reminded that I should've used that time to see what I'm up against instead of ogling Draco. I look at my dragon and my heart immediately sinks. It looks like he hasn't been cared for in a while. It just doubles my effort to give him the bath he deserves.

"The mud is so dry that I can remove it with my hands. That's most of the issue right there. Under all of it, I can see the silvery-blue scales; Swedish Short-Snout, then. They happen to be easier to bath than most dragons," he informs the camera.

He taps his finger against his leg. "I then pull out one of the towels and pour soap on it. I quickly clean the remaining dirt off. After that, I pick up the hose and attach the nozzle. I turn on the water and start to rinse him. He huffs at me for this which causes me to laugh.

"He definitely enjoyed being dried. I guess he is just happy to get the water gone."

* * *

Gilderoy calls time. Crewmen shuffle out to rid evidence of their betrayals to each other. Everyone is given a moment to clean themselves up.

The crewmen disappear as the crack of Apparation sounds. Newt joins Gilderoy at the front table. This time Gilderoy is wearing a silver and grey number.

"This time, they had to bathe their dragons," Gilderoy relays.

Newt raises his eyebrows. "Well, let's see how well each of you did."

He approaches Padma and her dragon first. He circles it, inspecting. "Dragons are notoriously difficult to bathe. You did a fair job. I still see a little bit of dirt around the top of the scales. Next time you bathe one, remember to get around the top of each scale; those are the dirtiest part of the dragons."

Padma nods, shifting from foot to foot, as he moves onto Draco's dragon. "Your dragon looks clean," Newt observes, running a finger down the scales. "However when I look closer, I can see the residue of the soap. It's not bad, but it would look nicer if you didn't have the soap residue."

Draco lips turn downward slightly as Newt moves on.

Newt moves on to inspect Charlie's dragon. He runs a finger down the scales again. "Your dragon is clean. There's no soap residue, either. Overall, I think this was a very good bath."

Newt takes his place next to Gilderoy. The host looks at Newt expectantly. "Have you made a decision?"

"I have. The person going home this time is Padma," he announces sadly. "It was a really lovely attempt, but it didn't seem like you really used any soap to clean her with."

Padma takes her remaining chips up to Gilderoy and grabs her wand. "Thank you, Mr Scamander."

Without another word, she Disapparates.

* * *

Padma looks crestfallen. "I made a gamble on the scents and I lost. I'll know better next time. Both Charlie and Draco are fierce competition. I wish them both luck.

"I just wish I could've spent time with Newt Scamander. His wand is made of bone and shell!" she exclaims. "It would've been amazing to inspect that myself, even though Gerrard is adamant that anything but phoenix feathers, dragon heartstrings, and unicorn tail hairs make weaker wands."

* * *

"And now we are down to two. Remember, whoever wins this will spend the time they have remaining with Newt Scamander," Gilderoy says.

"But enough about that. How about we get into our last challenge? This time you'll be making a saddle to ride a dragon."

The host takes a few steps back to the doors behind him. "These saddles have to be ridable. You'll have 90 seconds to get what you need. Starting now."

Both Charlie and Draco fly past him.

* * *

"We don't ride dragons at the Reserve," Charlie says. "But can you imagine flying one? I bet that would be glorious."

He sighs. "The shop gives me an idea of what exactly I should be getting. There's a variety of material, including dragonhide, which I immediately discard. Approaching a dragon with another dragon's hide is a big no. Leather seems like the next best thing so I grab that.

"I'll need heat to mold it, so I grab a torch. Glue to put it together. Tape measure to make it the right size and a knife to cut it. I grab some buckles to strap the saddle on with. And I feel like that's all I need."

* * *

"I know nothing about making a saddle," Draco says. "There's a lot of different material in the shop. Leather is probably my best option. It would be the lightest for the dragon to carry of everything available.

"Leather also molds easily when heated which will come in handy. I pick up a torch and some glue. Of course I'm going to need something to measure with and something to cut. I'm also going to need buckles so I pick those up too. Once I have everything, I make my way out of there feeling rather confident."

* * *

They return to their stations with their baskets. Gilderoy looks pleased with their speed.

"For this auction," Gilderoy announces, "you'll take your opponent's source of heat, leaving them only their dragons. Who will give me 1 minute for this?"

"5 minutes," Draco immediately offers.

"7," Charlie counters.

They go back and forth, steadily raising the price. Until Draco says, smirking, "45 minutes."

Gilderoy double checks that Charlie isn't going to raise the price before he announces, "Sold to Draco for 45 minutes. Bring me a chip."

Charlie hands the torch to Draco as he heads up to the front table. Draco looks pleased when he returns.

* * *

"As much as I would've liked to keep my torch," Charlie starts, "it got a little pricey. I want to keep as much as my time as I can.

"Besides, how hard can it be just using the dragon's fire? It should work just as well as the torch." However, he doesn't look convinced of that himself.

* * *

Gilderoy summons the next auction. Dragonhide appears. It's a coppery color. "Win this auction and you'll force your opponent to give up their material in exchange for this."

Charlie bids, "5 minutes."

Draco, surprisingly, doesn't counter the offer.

"5 minutes going once," Gilderoy says, but still Draco is quiet. "Sold to Charlie for 5 minutes. Bring me a chip."

Charlie hands the host one of his chips and takes the dragonhide. He grins as he exchanges the leather in Draco's basket for the dragonhide. The blond looks completely unfazed by the change in material.

* * *

"I'm not sure why this is even up for auction," Draco admits. "It doesn't really seem like it's a big deal. There were dragonhide options in the shop.

"So I don't worry about bidding on it. I don't know why Weasley is grinning when he brought the dragonhide to me."

* * *

Gilderoy waits for Charlie to return to his station before saying, "You'll have 45 minutes to make a ridable saddle. These have to be on your dragon by the end of the 45 minutes."

Crewmen bring in two dragons. They are even bigger than the dragons before them, but noticeably still young. Their scales are red and their hide is golden. As they are doing this, Charlie slips into protective gear.

"Your time starts now."

* * *

"I approach the new dragon," Draco comments. "She doesn't even look at me as I do, which I don't mind. I set down my basket and try to figure out where to start.

"I decide the best place to start would be measuring how much of the hide I'll need. I get the measure tape out. She doesn't mind when I start measuring. I measure out the right size and cut the hide.

"The moment I go to approach her with the dragonhide to see if it's the right size, she makes a noise that sounds an awful lot like disapproval," he reveals. "And that's when I realize why Weasley bid on the hide. Dragons apparently doesn't like other dragon's hides. The only choice I have is to assume that my measurements are accurate.

"I use the torch to shape the saddle so it'll fit right in between two spikes. I add a another piece as support for the back. I heat up glue to ensure that it stays together better. After that, I measure out the length needed for the straps. Those are attached to the saddle by with heated glue as well; one strap to wrap in front of the legs and another strap to wrap in between them. I add the buckles to each strap.

"Now comes the hardest part: I have to put this dragonhide saddle on a dragon that doesn't like the material. There's absolutely no way that I'm getting close to the dragon without her getting angry, which makes me extremely grateful for the protective gear I'm wearing. I decide the best way to do it is as quickly as possible," Draco continues to explain.

"Predictably, as soon as I try to approach, she starts huffing at me. I press on anyways. She swings her tail at me but I manage to dodge. She starts moving moving away as I swing the saddle onto her back. I get the front buckle done and move to get the back buckle. I barely manage to get it fasten when she leaps into the air to fly away. She doesn't really get that far because she runs into a shield almost immediately.

"I'm just glad that I got the saddle on her," Draco says finally. "And it is just in time. Gilderoy just starts to count down."

* * *

"The Chinese Fireballs are my second favorite dragons, after the Hungarian Horntails," Charlie reports. "Reminds me of the Gryffindor colors. She keeps an eye on me as I approach her, wearily watching me.

"Measuring the area in which I want to put the saddle seems like the best place to start. I decide the area between the first and second spikes was going to be the best placement. After I get the measurements, I cut the leather to the right size. I double check it with the spikes.

"I get the measurements for the straps next. I attach those to the seat with the glue. I put the buckles on them. After that I measure out and add a back support, something I wish all brooms came with. Then I tackle the hardest part: molding the leather using the dragon's breath."

Charlie frowns. "I try to coax her into breathing fire, but she just isn't having it. She just seems weary of me. I'm trying every trick I know that doesn't require a wand and _nothing_. I don't know what to do. There's not a lot of time left on the clock and there's no way that I'm going to be able to mold this leather without some kind of heat.

"I'm still trying to figure it out when Gilderoy starts counting down. I decide the best thing I can do is put the saddle on and hope for the best."

* * *

Gilderoy is wearing yet another over the top outfit, this time a lilac robe set. "That is it for this competition. After this, one of you will win one-on-one time with Newt Scamander to talk about whatever you would like."

As if his name summons him, Newt Apparates in at that moment. Excitement is written all over his face.

"This round, I asked the two of them to make dragon saddles," the host informs the older man.

"Dragon saddles?" Newt repeats questioningly. "That's very exciting. Riding a dragon is an exceptional feeling. Much better than riding a broom, I say."

Gilderoy doesn't seem interested in Newt's ramblings. "How about you inspect those saddles?" he asks.

Newt crosses the distance between the front table and Draco eagerly. Draco's dragon landed, and huffs at Newt when he approaches her. That doesn't faze the judge. He simply scratches under her chin as he did in the first round.

"Dragonhide is an interesting choice for a saddle," Newt notes as he studies it. "All dragons are, at least, mildly territorial. Using hide from a different dragon species would explain why your dragon is so upset. But your saddle is impeccable. It fits the dragon perfectly. I definitely wouldn't be falling off the dragon with this saddle. It would be better suited for a Vipertooth, as they would be less likely to try to dislodge you while flying."

Newt moves onto Charlie next. The dragon doesn't even bother lifting her head as the man comes closer.

"Leather is the ideal choice for saddles. It's lightweight and it doesn't cause the dragons to become territorial. Your saddle looks like it's put together nicely. However, I'm taken back by the fact that it doesn't seem to fit your dragon," Newt says. "I would expect the saddle to be more fitted."

Charlie nods his agreement to the judge's statement as Newt heads back towards Gilderoy.

"Who is this week's winner?" Gilderoy asks.

"I have to eliminate Charlie," Newt declares. "It's really a nice saddle, but it doesn't look comfortable to ride."

Charlie takes up his remaining chips and retrieves his wand. He shakes Newt's hand before he disappears.

* * *

"I'm really upset that I didn't win. Newt has been my idol since I was a young child. If it wasn't for him, we wouldn't have our _Care of Magical Creature_ textbook. He singlehandedly revolutionized the way we learn about magical creatures," Charlie says, sounding awestruck. "There was just so many questions I had for him.

"Maybe I should've outbid Draco when it came down to the heat treachery. But Draco really deserved that win. I'm extremely impressed that he managed to make a dragonhide saddle _and_ put it on a dragon of a different species. He'd make a damn good Tamer, that's for sure."

* * *

Draco grins smugly at the camera. "I won. I beat Weasley whose job is Dragon Taming. I don't think there's a better feeling than this.

"I finished with thirty minutes left. That's thirty minutes with Newt, though I have no idea what I'll talk about. Maybe I'll see if he knows if other things from magical creatures could be used in potions."

* * *

The episode of _So You Think You Know Your Creatures_ airs a month later. He's all but forgotten about the competition, too caught up with his experimental potion to do anything other than sleep and eat, until his mother reminds him.

He watches it out of curiosity as to what the other three said during their private confessions. He's stunned into silence as he watches Charlie's. It's clear that Charlie doesn't give a second thought to propriety.

His head spins. Draco's reminded that he stopped upping the price of the gardening pin because he got distracted by Charlie's smug grin. He's tried to tell himself it's because he's never seen a Weasley be so confident in themselves before, that he was surprised by it, but he's reminded of the twins who were always self-confident.

He has to admit to himself, as he's watching the episode, that he's watching Charlie instead of the other two or himself. He's waiting for each and every time that Charlie is on the screen.

Then he sees Charlie's final confession. He spurs into action.

* * *

"Thanks for stopping by _Bottled Glory_! Come again soon!" Draco hears his assistant call out.

Footsteps alert Draco to company. He looks up from where he's watching his potion. Astoria Greengrass grins at him. Her dark hair falls freely around her face as she takes off her apron.

"That was the last customer of the day. The shelves are restocked. Do you need anything else before I leave?" she asks.

He shakes his head, returning his attention to his potion. "I'm almost done with this one and I'll be heading home myself. I'll lock up on my way out if you switch over the sign."

"I'll see you in the morning, bright and early," she agrees.

He hears the sound of the doorbells, signalling that he was alone. He moves to grab vials from a nearby shelf when he hears the bells again. Then there's a voice that calls out a tentative greeting; it sounds familiar but he can't place it.

Deciding that the potion can sit for a few minutes, he sets down the vials and heads up front. "We're closed."

"I gathered that from your sign but I really wasn't here to buy anything."

Draco finally looks at the person. Charlie Weasley stands before him. It's clear that he's Apparated directly after he got done with work; his red hair is wild and he has on dragonhide gear. He even smells faintly of smoke. Draco's heart rate picks up as he realizes why the other man is here.

"You gave up your time with Newt Scamander," Charlie says without preamble, "to me."

"I just wanted to win," he replies nonchalantly. "There wasn't anything Newt could've taught me."

"You just decided that I should receive that opportunity instead?" the redhead questions.

Draco rolls his eyes as he points out. "You were second place. You were the obvious choice."

Charlie laughs loudly. "I would buy that if I didn't know that you and my family hate each other. What's the real reason?" When Draco doesn't explain himself, he studies the other man, his eyes flickering across his face and body. "You watched the show when it aired. That was you showing you were interested, wasn't it?"

Draco's cheeks flush with color. Even after he wrote to Newt and arranged the change, he still couldn't believe he'd done it. He's never acted on his interest in the same gender before, too worried about propriety to do so. But there's something about the redhead's smiles that Draco likes; and it doesn't hurt that he's easy on the eyes, even for a Weasley. There's also the fact Charlie is obviously interested in him, and it didn't seem his last name would deter him. If his last name couldn't deter the redhead, he doubts there would really be much that would.

"Well, in that case, how about we do dinner? Give me some ingredients and I can whip us up something," Charlie offers.

Draco narrows his eyes. "Are you sure it wouldn't be poisoned? Because we could get something to go from the Leaky Cauldron."

"Hey!" Charlie protests indignantly. "I happen to be a great cook! I would be a terrible date if I tried to poison them all on the first date."

Draco snorts. "I'll be the judge of that," he declares. He nods towards the backroom. "I just have to finish up."

"I would offer to help but there's a reason I dropped Potions as soon as I could," he informs the blond sheepishly as he follows Draco.

Maybe something brilliant will come from Draco's decision to give up his time with Newt. Only time will tell if it was time well spent.


End file.
